Truman Show? Product placement in real life

Hybrids, especially the Prius, have become the automotive equivalent of a teacup chihuahua to Hollyweird stars. No doubt the public viewings and statements by thespians have raised public awareness of Toyota's green-tinged offerings. The campaign of bringing Toyota Hybrids to the stars has been a clever bit of stealth marketing by the Environmental Media Association. What better way to quickly make a hybrid a desireable item than to equip media figures with the vehicles, adding an air of "sexy" to vehicles that wouldn't be considered conventionally attractive. It's definitely been an effective way to boost the cachet of the hybrid, and we gather that celebrities love to be stroked and told how good they are. The cynical side of us says "follow the money." We're waiting for the big Tinseltown push for keeping old cars going, thus avoiding the raw material, energy, and toxic materials hit that a new car creates. We won't be holding our breath.
[Source: CNN]